So far, there has been no quality evaluation of Tricholoma matsutake. Nucleic acid compounds are a kind of functional ingredient in T. matsutake that is beneficial to human health. In this study, a UPLC-TOF/MS method was first used to scan and identify the potential nucleic acid compounds in T. matsutake. Based on the calculation of the molecular formula and subsequent confirmation by authentic standards, 15 nucleic acid compounds were unambiguously identified: adenosine, cytidine, guanosine, inosine, thymidine, uridine, xanthosine dehydrate, 2′-deoxyadenosine, 2′-deoxycytidine, 2′-deoxyguanosine, 2′-deoxyuridine, adenosine 5′-monophosphate, cytidine 5′-monophosphate, guanosine 5′-monophosphate, and uridine 5′-monophosphate. Then, a UPLC-QqQ/MS method was developed for the subsequent quantitative analysis. After validating the limits of quantification, detection, precision, repeatability, and recovery through a calibration curve, the content of 15 nucleic acid compounds was determined by the proposed UPLC-QqQ/MS method in 80 T. matsutake samples collected from different regions in Sichuan province, Southwest China. After the statistical analysis, we suggest that the total content of nucleic acid compounds in the qualified T. matsutake should be higher than 24.49 mg/100 g. The results indicated that the combined use of UPLC-TOF/MS and UPLC-QqQ/MS is efficient for fast identification and determination of nucleic acid compounds to comprehensively evaluate the quality of T. matsutake.

In the present study, 11 non-anthocyanin polyphenols, gallic acid, protocatechuate, vanillic acid, syringic acid, ferulic acid, quercetin, catechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin gallate, gallocatechin gallate and epicatechin gallate—were firstly screened and identified from blueberries using an ultra performance liquid chromatography–time of flight mass spectrography (UPLC-TOF/MS) method. Then, a sample preparation method was developed based on vortex-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction. The microextraction conditions, including the amount of ethyl acetate, the amount of acetonitrile and the solution pH, were optimized through the multi-objective response surface methodology and desirability function approach. Finally, an ultra performance liquid chromatography–triple quadrupole mass spectrography (UPLC-QqQ/MS) method was developed to determine the 11 non-anthocyanin polyphenols in 25 commercial blueberry samples from Sichuan province and Chongqing city. The results show that this new method with high accuracy, good precision and simple operation characteristics, can be used to determine non-anthocyanin polyphenols in blueberries and is expected to be used in the analysis of other fruits and vegetables.

The poor oral bioavailability of arctiin caused by its low water solubility is the biggest obstacle in developing it as a drug. In this work, a new water-soluble glucuronide derivative of arctiin (arctigenin-4′-O-glucuronide) was synthesized through 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl mediated oxidation reaction. Subsequently, its anti-inflammatory effect was evaluated by mice acute lung injury model in vivo. The results showed that the glucuronide derivative of arctiin not only had better water solubility but also displayed improved anti-inflammatory activity in vivo, thus serving as an innovative compound in the drug development of arctiin.

Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma is a traditional food in China. Although phytochemical and pharmacology studies have been performed, the antioxidant constituents have not been characterized with the exception of astilbin. In the present study, six antioxidants in Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet and mass spectrometry detection using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2′-azinobis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assays. These analytes were 5-O-caffeoylshikimic acid, polydatin, neoastilbin, astilbin, neoisoastilbin, and isoastilbin. The relative Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity of each compound was determined using the two protocols. Moreover, antioxidant fingerprints were constructed for quality evaluation of Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma and principal component analysis was performed to provide a guide for customers and producers to ensure the quality of the raw materials. The methodology may be used for the analysis of Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma and potentially for other plant-based products.